2022 General - Voter Guide Ranking

2022 Clean Water Questionnaire Responses

To read each question, answer and candidate comments click below.

• Question 1 : Yes
  1) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), and while the plan should reduce harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, discharges will still occur when the level of the lake gets too high. Do you agree the Army Corps and the South Florida Water Management District must send more water south during the dry season in order to minimize the possibility of discharges and their impact on human health and the environment?

  Yes

• Question 2 : Yes
  2) Florida is booming, with an estimated 1,000 people moving here every day. As a result, development is pushing growth further into Florida’s rural and natural areas, imperiling wildlife and natural resources like clean water. Will you oppose changes to your county’s Comprehensive Plan/Urban Development Boundary that would allow non-agricultural development in rural areas outside the urban, most densely developed area(s) in your county?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  I do believe that the Comp Plan should not have wide-sweeping changes made to it.One thing I hear from people while I am door knocking is that projects that represent public benefits in the form of conservation that generate revenue should be considered as an alternate option instead of implementing half-cent sales taxes when inflation is at 9% and gas at $5/gallon if the density is not denser than what we currently allow.

• Question 3 : Yes
  3) State legislation, FDEP data and the Blue-Green Algae Task Force all report agriculture as the dominant source of phosphorus and nitrogen within most impaired watersheds of Florida. Do you agree industries and property owners should be held to clearly enforceable pollution standards and penalties; including mandatory adoption and verification of best management practices, and to implement inspection programs targeting septic, agriculture and industrial wastewater?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  According to the Florida DEP and Blue-Green Algae Task Force, in Oct of 2019, reported that major sources of nutrients include, but are not limited to, agricultural operations, wastewater treatment plants, onsite sewage disposal systems, and urban stormwater runoff.Regarding the enforcement of standards, I support an efficient process. The Department of Environmental Protection, by nature of its regulatory authority, is the primary state agency responsible for establishing, implementing, and enforcing rules intended to prevent nutrient over-enrichment and resultant negative environmental impacts. I do not believe that implementing taxes on our local community to cover the cost of enforcing is worth it when already done.Instead, we need to be demanding transparency and more representation at the State level to ensure the enforcement is happening effectively.Reference: Blue-Green Algae Task Force Consensus Document #1 11 October 2019 https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Final%20Consensus%20%231_0.pdf

• Question 4 : Yes
  4) Key water bodies along the Florida coast, including the Indian River Lagoon and Biscayne Bay, are plagued by excess nutrient pollution which kills seagrass. This in turn has led to increased turbidity and reduced habitat essential for fish, birds, marine mammals, and other marine species. If elected, would you support aggressive measures to address water quality problems, including (but not limited to) a mandatory septic inspection program, increased investment in septic-to-sewer conversions and upgrades to municipal sewage treatment facilities, increased stormwater pollution controls and tougher fertilizer restrictions coupled with strict enforcement?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  Water quality isn't a partisan issue. We need an excellent ecosystem to keep our community strong and vibrant. Investment in Septic-to-Sewer is something we can't turn down for personal reasons like my opponent did seven or so years ago by voting against the Indian river drive septic to sewer conversion because it wasn't in her district

• Question 5 : Yes
  5) Special interests in Florida spend lavishly to influence elections at the local, state and federal level. The sugar industry, phosphate mining industry and big utilities, among others, spend millions to aid candidates who then back their preferred legislation - too often, at the expense of clean water. Do you agree your campaign will accept no contributions from any source with ties to polluting industries including, but not limited to, the sugar, phosphate and utility industries?

  Yes